Chapter III
Zerod looked up when he heard a knock on the Drop-off center's door that was open to see that Will and Ania had made their way there. But the storm had finally let up after three and a half days and all that was blowing this morning was a constant but cool breeze.
"Welcome, you two. What did you think of the storm that just passed through?", he asked them as they walked in.
"It was a rough one but it served it's purpose.", Will said slightly hinting to Ania by placing his hand at the small of her back.
She smirked and said, "I'm just glad that it's over. Zerod, where's Jacob ?"
"He's in the back."
Ania's anger came back to her all at once as she took off through the large hanger full of supplies. Zerod frowned as he looked at how quickly Ania took off and then looked at Will.
"What is going on ?", Zerod asked.
"Ania !", Will called out and then with Zerod they started off for what was about to happen. "Three and a half days ago, Jacob broke into her apartment and trashed the living room."
"He did what ?!", Zerod said in disbelief.
The moment she saw Jacob working in the corner, she started to unzip her coat.
When Jacob looked up he felt Ania's fist connect to his jaw, causing him to stumble back and up against the back wall of the hanger.
"You bastard !", she yelled out to him as Jacob stood up straight, touching his jaw.
Will swore to himself that if it weren't for the fact that he knew Jacob would retaliate against what had just happened, he would of patted Ania on the shoulder for the direct punch that she had just threw but instead he had to stop her because she looked as if she was going to pounce again.
Will grabbed Ania to stop her for going after the man again.
"Ania, no !", he told her.
"You stopped me before, Will. Don't do this to me again !", she told him.
"I said 'no'. I think you got your point across.", he told her but paused as he saw Jacob, out of the corner of his eye, started over to them.
Will held up his right gloved hand to Jacob and said, "Don't even think about laying a hand on her , pal !"
"Ania ! What is so special about him that you could not be with me ?", the man asked her.
"Dammit, Jacob ! I have no feelings for you ! I've told you this before ! What more can I say to you?! You ripped my parents' photo, you've broken my things, and you are lucky as hell that I haven't gone to Gregor's and told him about you breaking into my place ! You had no right !", the young woman told him, irate.
Jacob just shook his head. "You can not hear me. Not with him here. Sheltering you. Filling your head with lies how he cares about you. Just to sleep with you."
Will frowned as he kept his cool, barely. "Hey !! You watch your damn mouth! This woman here took care of me and helped me back on my feet and I owe everything to her. So you have no clue what . . "
"I saw you grabbing on her at her apartment !", Jacob interrupted Will.
They all frowned at him.
"What ?!", Will said turning completely to Jacob.
"You were grabbing all over her a few days ago, in her door way. Filling her head with lies. Ania, can't you see that he is just having his way with you until he is better. Then, he is out of here, like the 'stream."
Ania shook her head and said, "You were even watching me then! As a storm was going on! You pervert! You sick pervert!"
"Zerod . . ", Jacob started, looking to explain his side.
But Zerod interrupted him. "Jacob, maybe you should go home and get some rest for a few days. Away from your room here at the center. Go see your parents, son. Rest."
"What for?"
"Once you're rested, come back and continue to help me here."
Zerod was just about the person he trusted and lately, even he seemed to have no problem with this 'fly by night' con man.
But Jacob nodded.
"Fine. I'll go home for a few days, Zerod. To see my folks. Because you asked me to.", he told the man.
He turned to leave but then looked at Ania.
"When he does leave you, and we all know that he will, I will be right there to tell you 'I told you so'. Believe me, you will want to be with me then.", Jacob told her.
Ania shook her head and looked away from him as Will pushed Jacob away from her.
"You just stay the hell away from her ! Understand ?!", he said to Jacob.
Jacob said nothing as he turned and walked across the large hanger and out the door after grabbing his things.
Will untensed once Jacob was gone and he looked at Ania.
"Are you alright ?", he asked her.
"I'll be okay. Let's just get what you came for and get you back to the hospital."
"Right.", Will said to her.
They both looked at Zerod, who was trying to come down after what had just happened. He looked at the two.
"Uh, Zerod ?", Will said to the man. "We just came for my package. Sorry about the little sideshow."
The older man nodded as he started towards the front of the hanger where they had came from. "Of course! Of course. This way. I have your package from Downstream just up front, Will. Follow me, the both of you."
After following the man up to the front, Zerod handed a medium sized package to Will. Will looked it over and after inspecting it, then began to tear open the brown generic wrapping after thanking Zerod.
The man nodded and then looked at Ania.
"Are you okay ?", Zerod asked her.
"I'm alright.", she told him as they stepped out the front door.
Will noticed that the older man was moving Ania out of his earshot and it was just as well. He was sure that others would have questions once they realized that she were with the man that she had tended over for the past two and a half months.
"Ania ? Is it true ? That you are with William now ?", he asked with a whisper.
Ania said nothing as she looked off towards the town. That had answered Zerod's question.
He smirked with a sly "Uh-huh."
"Well, I owe Helen five dollars.", he told her, still smirking.
Ania's eyebrows went up as she looked at Zerod. "Five dollars ? For what ?"
"Well, she made a bet with me that you would of fallen for William by the time his leg cast came off. I said the arm cast"
Ania rolled her eyes. "Wonderful ! Everyone is keeping tabs on my love life !"
"That's right, dear. We publish your doings in the sports section of the weekly newsletter, now that you mention it.", he said with a smile.
"You are so funny, sometimes.", she said, blandly.
"I try."
Will walked out of the Drop-off Center and Zerod looked at him.
"Well, Will, I hope your package has brought you some good news."
"It has. I am to tell you that a passenger glider will be coming through here five days from today to pick up some passengers to take them Downstream.", Will told Zerod.
Zerod nodded as Ania looked at Will. But when he looked at her, Ania turned and avoided his gaze.
A few minutes later, they departed from the Drop-off Center much quieter than they had arrived. Will carried his package under his right arm as he made his way with the cane in his left hand.
"Hey ?", he said to Ania who was walking a few steps ahead of him.
"What ?", she said looking back at him.
"We need to talk.", Will told her and stopped in his place.
Ania noticed that he had stopped and stopped herself a few feet away.
"About what, Will?" She paused for a second and then shrugged. "It's quite obvious that you will be leaving on that passenger glider coming through here in a few days, so why don't we just cut this short here."
"Well, just to update you before you sock me like you socked that wack job Jacob, let me just tell you that, yes, I am going to be on that passenger glider.", he said.
"Well, there you go!", she told him.
"But I'm not going to be alone. You will be coming with me."
Ania paused and then said, "Will! I told you that I don't want to leave here. I thought that you said that you will stay here for a while."
"I will be coming back."
"Right !", she said, curtly. "You're going to go Downstream and forget about Currentburg Township."
"And you ? After the past three and a half days we have spent together? Ania, that's not going to happen. Listen, five days from now, I will be getting on that passenger glider and I hope that you will be with me. You will have to be on that glider with me."
Ania shook her head and said, "Why?"
"Because, tonight or tomorrow, you will be taking this.", he told her as he reached into half open package and pulled out a packet wrapped in plastic.
"What's that?"
Will smiled as he dropped the package but held the packet up to Ania as he moved closer to him.
"This is the registration, study guide, and entrance exam for the Registered Nurse examination that will be held two months from now Downstream."
She paused for a second and then placed her hand on her chest, surprized. "What ?!"
"I know for a fact that you will past the entrance exam that Helen will supervise over you either tonight or tomorrow. Then, you, with me, will fly Downstream and hand deliver your sealed exam to the officials. They will check it over, along with your references from Helen on your work here. They will send you a confirmation data card on where and when to go to take the final exam. And once you pass that one with flying colors I will take you out and we will celebrate. And then you and I will come back here, together, so I can flaunt you off as my very intelligent lady who happens to be the town's newest Registered Nurse."
He watched her surprized reaction with a satisfied smile.
"Will !", she said as she finally took the packet from him. She looked it over and saw the official seal from the registration offices Downstream. She looked at him. "You did this for me ?"
"Of course, I did it for you. Who else would I do it for ?", he asked her.
"But it takes months to even get through to the registration offices Downstream. How did you get the whole registration packet with the entrance exam and study guide ?!", she asked him.
"I know a few people Downstream and in my department who owed me a favor or two and they pulled some strings for me. For you."
Will stepped up to her and leaned closer to her, even though they were the only ones on the path that led back to town. "Even though we were in the throws of passion, I meant what I said about wanting to be your Mr. Right, Ania."
"But you ordered this when? It couldn't of gotten here overnight from Downstream.", she said, still taken.
"I ordered it when I first called Downstream a few weeks ago. To say 'Thank you' to you for all that you have done for me. But over the weeks, well . . it just turned into something more than a small gesture.", he told her, almost meekly. Very out of character for the tough guy he were.
She blushed at him as she placed one arm around his neck as she held the packet up against their chests. "You are so going to get lucky tonight !"
He chuckled placing his casted hand on her waist and used his right hand to stroke her cheek. Will kissed her, gently on the lips. "I didn't do this for you to get 'lucky', Ania."
"Uh-huh.", she whispered to him and then kissed him deeply and intensely to the point where he had to take a deep breath and swallow.
"But as I can see, it definitely did not hurt my chances, though. Definitely not !"
She smiled at his comment as he pecked her on the lips one last time.
As they started off again to the hospital, Will looked at her as he took her left hand into his right hand and asked, "What if Helen says that I have to stay at the hospital tonight ?"
"I'll stay with you. I am still your aide, Tasker."
He gave her a devilish smirk and said, "I have never known to receive that kind of treatment in any hospital that I have been in but I am so happy I was admitted into this one ! I love the service !"
Ania shook her head at him as they both chuckled.
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20 minutes later, when they walked into the main double doors of the hospital, all the staff paused and looked at the two individuals. Dora sat behind the registration desk with a look on her face that could have stopped the 'stream winds, altogether. Thank goodness there weren't many people were in the emergency room due to everyone being prepared for the Slipstream storm that had passed through over the past three and a half days.
"Morning.", Will said with a smirk to them as he placed his hand at the small of Ania's back and gave her a slight nudge which started them off down the hall towards Helen's office.
They responded with 'Good Morning' back at the two.
Since the moment some of the nurses had saw Will walk out of the hospital, completely dressed, and towards the Plateau Abodes where Ania had lived, 10 minutes after she had left for the night, the rumor mill had been burning up !
When he didn't show back up that night as the Slipstream storm had gotten worse, Helen knew exactly where Will had disappeared to and that she wasn't going to worry about him. But the message that she recieved from Ania a few hours later, confirmed Will's whereabouts and in he and Ania's relationship. Seeing how they had been getting along extremely well over the past two and a half months, it would of been just a matter of time when either the two would advance their relationship or just remain the friends they had became.
Dora, Ania's known foe in the hospital, asked Helen did she find it acceptable that Ania had gotten personal with a patient. Helen told her that Ania was a grown woman and Will Tasker was a healthy grown man who was attracted to Ania due to how well she took care of him when he was unable to do so. Whatever blossomed between the two was either meant to be or just a temporary thing ! Either way, it was their business.
___________________
When her office door opened and she saw the two walk in, Helen couldn't help but smile at them.
"Well ! I was wondering when you both would show back up here.", she said to him.
"Actually, Helen, when you saw me leave here that afternoon as the storm was coming in, I was on my way to check on Ania. She was worried that someone was following her and come to find out, someone were.", he told the woman.
The smile on Helen's face disappeared. "My goodness ! Ania, who was it ?"
"Jacob.", she said, quietly.
"Jacob ?"
"When I had left here and arrived home, he had already gotten inside of my apartment and trashed my living room. Just as Will arrived, he ran out and off. So over the past three and a half days, Will stayed with me to make sure that he didn't return. Besides, Will would not of been up to making it's way back here with a weak left leg through the Slipstream storm.", Ania said as she removed her coat and sat down.
"Dear God ! What on earth could posses Jacob to do such a thing ? He's usually so quiet and to himself."
"It's always the quiet ones, Helen. He was reacting because of me. For some reason, Jacob feels that Ania could have a better life being with him than helping me recover and getting me back on my feet."
Helen shook her head as Will removed his coat, feeling a slight ache in his left thigh.
"Zerod made him go home and take a few days off. I really don't see how that is going to help. He has been stalking me for almost two weeks. I made it clear to him a while ago that I have no romantic interest in him. At all !", Ania said and then sighed, loudly. "Enough about him. I have something to show you, Helen."
She was still a bit taken at what they had told her about Jacob but Helen turned her attention to what Ania had showed her as she stood and walked over to her.
"What is this ?", the older woman asked.
"It's the registration and entrance exam packet for the Registered Nurse exam which will be held in about two months Downstream.", Ania said with a proud smile.
Helen's jaw gaped. "But how did you receive an up-to-date exam, study guides, and registration form, together ?"
Ania pointed to Will as he sat down in the chair that was next to Ania's chair.
"William ?", Helen said, more amused than anything.
He smirked slightly and said, "When I first contacted my superiors Downstream, I sort of asked them for a favor that they owed me. I knew how much it would of meant to Ania. So to show her how thankful I were with all that she had done for me, I had them pull some strings and send this packet."
"Now, if that isn't the most sweetest and thoughtful gesture ! You truly are the gentleman I knew you were to be.", she told him.
Will just hid a blush by saying, "Well, my part is done. Now, she needs a certified Doc to administer her through the test."
"Oh, well, yes ! I would like to think that I am a certified doctor. I didn't spend six years of my life Downstream studying and taking tests. Of course ! We can start this evening. And when the next passenger glider comes through, . . "
"Ania and I will be on it. Instead of just sending the packet back through the mail, with the chance of it getting lost, I have to go Downstream and tie up loose ends there with my supervisors. So, I figured Ania could hand deliver the packet herself seeing that there will be another test two months from now. And she could stay there for the next two months, take the test and then come home a certified registered nurse."
"Uh-huh. And will she be returning from Downstream, alone ?", Helen asked.
She had to pry.
Will sat back in his chair. "No. Once she takes her test, I should be finished tying up my loose ends. And we both will return here. Together."
"I see." Helen said, slyly.
Ania cleared her throat, a bit uncomfortable at the fact that they were talking about her even though she was sitting right there. "I need to get something to drink. My throat is a bit dry."
She sat the packet down on Helen's desk and nearly stumbled as she walked out. Helen glanced at William, waiting to hear more on what he had planned on doing.
"I have no intentions in hurting her, Helen. I really do care about her and I've decided that what happened to me was God's way of telling me that I'd better rethink my priorities. You can't catch every single bad guy there is without them trying to stop you from catching them with a gun or a knife."
"What will you do here ?", she asked as she sat next to him.
"Well, from what I understand, this Constable Gregors needs a good peacekeeper in his ranks.", he told Helen.
She shook her head and said to Will, "We need to replace Gregors, altogether. He's a disgusting man who is so shady it's a wonder that the seedy parts haven't tried to overpower the much better parts of this town."
"Hm. Then, that is something for me to consider. But don't worry about her, Helen. I will take care of her while she's Downstream. And I swear on my life which you and she saved, I will not let anyone get close enough to hurt her."
Helen smiled and patted his cast. "I believe you, William. I believe you. And I think you should come with me so I can take an X-ray of that cast. When do you and Ania plan on leaving for Downstream ?"
"A passenger glider will be coming through here and heading back Downstream five days from today. We are expected to be on that one."
"Then I'd better make sure that she is situated and make sure she has enough for a ticket there and back. And enough money for when she's there."
"Helen, I have already taken care of all of that.", he told her. "Trust me."
He looked at the look on Helen's face. It made him blush and look away as she smiled at him. 'This was a man who didn't blush much, if at all, and didn't realize how much he now looked like a man on the verge of falling in love!' she thought.
The door opened and Ania walked back in.
Helen stood. She walked over to her desk and began to open the packet. "Ania, dear, you have to get a move on if you plan on catching that passenger glider in five days with a finished entrance exam. So, today is an off day for you, while you complete your registration forms and the written part of your entrance examination."
"But I do get to work for the next four days, right ?", she asked as Helen handed her a folder of papers from the packet.
"Of course, but you need to concentrate on your written essay, this evening."
"Okay.", she told Helen.
"In the meanwhile, you can take your patient up to his room and make sure that he has all of his things together for his discharge, this afternoon.", Helen then told her.
"Huh ?", Ania said looking at William and then back at her.
"Once I do an X-ray on William's cast here today, it may come off today or possibly while he's Downstream. But I have no reason to keep him here. Seeing that he is getting around just fine since his leg cast has come off, William is free to go. And seeing that he is a new resident, I will call Mr. Halls who runs that very clean and well kept inn, and have him place William in one of his best rooms."
Ania cleared her throat again and said, "Oh. Okay."
"Unless, that is, you would like for William to stay with you for the next few days until you both leave for the next two months on the passenger glider heading Downstream."
Ania froze and then looked at Will. To Will, she looked so worried to be found out about the obvious. So he stood up and stepped up to Ania.
Ania swallowed hard as she felt his hands on her waist. "What ?", she asked him in an almost whisper.
"Ania, it's okay. Helen knows.", he said to her as he leaned his face towards hers.
Still worried, Ania said, "She knows what ? Will, what are you . . . "
Before she could try and retaliate, Will kissed Ania, lovingly, on the lips as he pulled her into his arms, completely. Helen smiled as she saw Ania not put up a fight and succumb to the man's kiss. She would of been a fool if she had tried to. From what she could see, William was an excellent 'wooer' when it came to kissing a woman !
The door had opened while they were in mid-kiss and the doctor and aide who walked in, paused. The aide smiled as did the doctor, in surprize as their 'show' ended.
The female aide said, "Well, that's nothing like the mouth to mouth that I learned to use on the patients."
Will kissed Ania's forehead with a knowing smirk as Ania finally opened her eyes, touching the corners of her mouth with her fingers.
"You and me both !", the aide heard Ania said.
She sighed, deeply. as she looked up at Will. "Show off .", she whispered to him.
Will just nodded once at her as he raised his eyebrows to her.
Needless to say, word had got around the hospital before they had even made it up to Will's hospital room.
___________________
Helen ran an x-ray on Will's cast and saw that for safety reasons, Will should keep the cast on for another two weeks. By then, he and Ania would be Downstream and Will could have the cast removed at a hospital there.
Will looked at Ania as she sat in a chair across from his bed, filling out her paperwork to register herself for her exam.
"You know, for the past couple of days, you haven't written in your journal."
Ania looked up from the guide at him and smirked. "Well, I have been quite busy over the past few days."
He returned a smirk and said, "Granted. But can I ask you a question ?"
"Go ahead."
"Did you write in your journal because you couldn't find someone to confide in?", he asked her and Ania paused looking at him.
"I can confide in you.", she said, quietly.
"And since you have, no journal.", he pointed out.
"Point made.", she told him. "Hm. I guess now that I think about it, I truly didn't talk with many of the other aides here. I mean I've had lunch with them and we'd talk about certain things. But not personal things. Besides Helen, of course."
"I'm flattered to be the only one you truly confide in."
"Well, I had no choice, Tasker. One, you wouldn't stop reading my journal and two, well, you've seen me naked."
"I'm extremely flattered about that !", he said with a smile and they both chuckled.
After a few minutes, Will looked across at Ania and stood up. He walked over to her and sat next to her on the small two person chair. "I'll get a room at the inn. So I don't crowd you."
"And I'll get a room when we go Downstream.", she told him.
"No, you won't.", he told her.
Ania paused and looked at him. "Stop that."
"Stop what ?", he asked her.
"Being demanding towards me."
"Demanding towards you ?", he repeated.
"Telling me what I am going to do. Where I'm going to stay.", she told him.
Will paused for a second and looked at her, after putting his arm across the back of the two person chair they were sitting in.
"Have I been doing that ?", he asked her.
"'You, with me, will fly Downstream to take your test.' 'No you don't get a room when we go Downstream, together.' And what about just completely 'outing' us infront of Helen, Dr. Evers, and Tess ? I mean, you didn't even consult me before you had done it.", she told him.
"Ania, I had no idea that doctor and nurse would walk in. Helen knew that there was something between us but when she brought it up, you looked like you had just been caught doing something that you were forbidden in doing. So, I just pushed it along. My place has two bedrooms Downstream. I just figure that you could save your money and stay in my guest bedroom. But you flying with me Downstream ? I was a bit demanding on that. But it's just that, I haven't been with a woman that I am so interested in many years. And after so many years of barking orders to Belitski and her not having a problem, I just have to remember that I'm with my lover now and not my bounty partner, anymore."
"Hm.", she said to him. "I guess that was a feeble enough apology."
Will smirked at Ania as she went back to filling out her papers. She then paused and looked over at him to see that he was watching her.
"Will ?", she said, softly.
"Hm ?", he said just as softly.
"Are you sure that you are ready to give all of that up ? I mean, you have been doing it for 20 years. And something as intense like that, you just can't give up. It's become the way of life for you."
He nodded and said, "I know. But now I feel that I want a new way of life."
"Will ?", she started again.
But he stopped her by holding up his hand. "Did you know that I'm going to be 45 in two months ?"
"When I read your i.d. I found that out.", she told him.
"I was so hellbent on taking out every bad guy that had ever crossed my path, I never stopped to consider what would I have if I ever was seriously injured or had finally decided to retire ? I would be an old bastard with money from what I saved from my bounties with a very empty two bedroom apartment to live in Downstream. I would probably get bored, head back out after a year or two of retirement, and try and start 'hunting' again. Go out there, get careless, and the next time, I won't be so lucky and get killed. I'm glad that this wake-up call happened. If it hadn't, we wouldn't be here, together. You wouldn't be filling out these papers for another few months after they finished with all of their legal mumble jumble crap Downstream. And I wouldn't be feeling like one of the most luckiest guys on the face of this crumbled up earth."
After saying that to her, Will leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose as Ania smiled at him.
"You are so getting lucky tonight ! Oh, well, not tonight but tomorrow night. I have to finish this written exam tonight.", she told him and he chuckled at her.
She touched his knee. "But listen, I'm no fool and I know that living that way for more than twenty years, you can not just give it up, just like that."
"Ania ?"
"Will, . . ."
Before they could start an actual argument, Will silenced her by kissing her, fully, on the lips. But it hadn't calmed her the way he had wanted it to, for the look on her face was quite serious.
She sighed, apparently, and looked away from his concerned stare.
Ania was that worried that he were going to leave her to keep carrying on bounty hunting.
___________________
She sat up for the majority of the evening while writing her essay final draft. She was so caught up over Will Tasker and he was doing the unimaginable for her. Helping her get Downstream. Letting her stay with him as she studied for her test. Getting her the entrance exam so she would be able to take the final exam. Returning back here to Currentburg Township with her.
What was he looking to get out of all this ? He had told her that he cared about her and that he had wanted to change his life around and be with her.
As much as she had wanted to truly believe every word he were telling her, Ania's mother and father taught her at an early age that you shouldn't believe everything that you are told. Especially by someone that you couldn't truly place your trust and heart into.
Ania knew she cared about this man. But the thought of what he used to do and how he did it for so long, she knew that it would never leave him. He was a gung-ho type where he was determined to get his man. Or woman, if you saw it from her point of view as far as they had went. A die hard look would come over his face, that intense look, when he would look at her, before they had slept together for the first time. How he wanted her.
Since their first night together, a softness would begin to blend in with his intense look. He would look at her, adoringly, as if he had longed to be with her all his life ! But the moment, bounty hunting came up in any of their conversations, a hardened look would cross his face as he thought about his past jobs. Then, either he would talk about it or her would inch away from the subject. Perfect case in point, he had kissed her before they would begin to argue back at the hospital earlier, trying to take her mind off of the obvious.
What really bothered Ania was that, what if in the near future, they would get to the point where true emotions would be expressed and then he would step back and realize what was really going on, Will would get cold feet and run on her. Back to what he knew and were comfortable with.
Losing love scared her. So, she wanted to be extremely careful who she gave her heart to. But seeing that they talked and had gotten to know one another for the past couple of weeks, they learned a number of things about one another. Likes and dislikes. He knew that she didn't want to be hurt. And Will had told her, repeatedly, over the past couple of days, since their fateful morning together, that he had no intention in hurting her. Her heart told her to trust him. But something in her told her to hold on until she was positively sure.
Ania sighed as she placed her pen down as she sat at her kitchen table. She had finally gotten what she had wanted. Someone who would care about her. A guy of her choice to fall for her.
But this was happening way too fast. Wasn't it ? It felt too right to be wrong.
Maybe she should stay away from Will for a while. She was getting too attached. Too involved. Thinking of too many things all at once. She needed to concentrate on this, her Registered Nurse final exam and she needed to keep her mind on this essay.
For right now.
___________________
Helen's friend, Mr. Halls, had set Will up in a very nice room in his inn. It was quiet and Will was positive that this inn was a bit more upscale than any inn he had stayed in over the years. Some didn't even have windows. This one did. And his window looked out over the majority of the town. And towards the east end of the large town, was where the lights were brightest this time of night and where the most noise was coming from. Nothing to call the law about but enough to raise an eyebrow.
Will had already came to the conclusion that Currentburg Township was a town that was doing pretty well for themselves. They had their own farms on the outskirts along with produce and herd farms. Everyone seemed to have a bit of money and/or worked for it. He rarely saw anyone on the streets as far as homeless went. There was the seedy part of the town on the east end but they rarely reared their heads during the day and would party and drink at night like they were doing now. And surprizingly, Will noticed that the wild ones kept their place.
Almost.
There would be a robbery reported here or a mugging there. There was only one death reported last month. But this Constable Gregors was what had peaked Will's interest. He had introduced himself to Will the first day Ania had taken him out to get a few items for himself. From what Helen and Ania had told him and from what Will had seen on his own of Gregors, the man was a bit shady.
He was sitting with Ania, having lunch with her in the diner that he had chose that first day out. They had already ordered their meals and were waiting for the food to arrive. Will had his first cup of coffee in weeks and Ania had a glass of water.
When Will looked over Ania's shoulder and at the door of the diner, he saw a stout man walk in. His outfit was a bit dusty for it to be just the beginning of the afternoon but Will shrugged it off because what was more important was that the man had looked directly at him.
For a brief minute, Will had wished that he had his gun at his side, in case this yahoo had any intentions on confronting him.
Ania noticed the look on Will's face and she turned to see what had caught his eye. She then looked back at Will with a very grossed out look on her face. Will glanced at her and then looked back at the man.
"Well, you finally get to meet Gregors.", she said quietly to him.
Will frowned as he gave her a look. "You have got to be kidding me! Him ?!"
She made an 'I told you so !' face.
Gregors noticed that the young woman that was with the lawman had whispered something to him. He had seen the woman a few times at the local hospital. Sansweet. She was pretty and he could see why the lawman had found an attachment in her. But due to the look on her face, she had already knew what he was about and had no kind words to say about him for the lawman gave him another glance after the Sansweet woman said something to him. But then again, the only women who did give him a second look nowadays were the women on the east end of town.
"Well, now! I see that our Downstream lawman is finally up and about.", he said as he walked up to their table.
Ania didn't look up at him but she looked at Will to see that he had showed 'face' and stood up on his casted left leg and his right leg to greet the man, face to face. And he did it without stumbling and without much leverage from their table. She had went to say something to Will but decided not to for his sake in front of this pig of a man.
"I'm 'about' the best way I can.", Will said in a voice that Ania hadn't heard him use since the moment he had awoken from his coma. Very defiant. "Will Tasker."
"Constable Gregors. I've heard of you. You've been through here before, Mr. Tasker.", he told Will as if he didn't remember on his own.
"That's right ! About 6 years back. Rounding up two bounties that were seen in the area at the time. I don't remember you being the local Constable then. Some guy by the name of 'Davenport'. Good man. Did he retire ?", Will asked more prying than curious.
"No, unfortunatly, about five years ago, some young man came through here, hell bent on getting even with Davenport because something about his brother being killed Downstream by the law. He shot Davenport and Davenport shot him. Both died. Before Davenport died at the hospital from his wound, he appointed me the new Constable, seeing that I were there when that young man shot him.", Gregors told him.
Will's eyebrows went up with interest. "Really ? Well, what was the young man's name who had done Davenport in ? I may of played an unfortunate part in all of this."
Ania frowned as Will sat back down in his chair. He glanced at her as Gregors pulled up a chair from and empty table.
"Oh ! Where are my manners ? This is Nurse Sansweet, she has been like my right hand since I arrived here. She told me that you had stopped by the hospital when I was first brought in almost two months ago."
Gregors knew the woman didn't like him so he didn't pursue any conversation with her. He just nodded at her and then tipped his hat at her. "Ma'am ?"
Ania gave him a forced smirk.
"Let's see.", Gregors said, thinking back. "I believe that the young man's last name was Yearderly. That's right. Drew Yearderly."
A sinking feeling settled in Will stomach as he nodded. "I believe that were the same last name of one of the two men that my partner and I had taken back Downstream."
He looked at Ania to see the disappointment on her face. She swallowed and stood up. "If you'd excuse me, gentlemen, while you two are talking about things I do not wish to hear about, I'm going to go run a quick errand and I'll be back to enjoy my lunch when it arrives."
"I apologize, Nurse Sansweet. You're right. This isn't something to discuss around a pretty lady like yourself. I'm sorry if I offended you and ruined your appitite.", he told her.
Ania frowned as she pushed her chair in. "Constable Gregors, I work at the hospital. You know, the place where you and your men have sent a number of innocent bystanders over the past few years to be patched up from your carelessness and mistakes."
"Mistakes do happen, Nurse Sansweet.", he told her with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah. A mistake like, 'Oops ! I pushed this citizen to the ground while shielding them from the occasional bar fight that has broken out.' is what you are refering to. But what I am refering to is 'Oops ! We found these two dead bystanders behind Meck's Pub even though they were reported missing one week ago.' type of mistakes are what I'm used to seeing, Constable Gregors.", Ania told him as she folded her arms across her chest. "And I have seen much worst than that. But giving your reputation in this town, nothing you do or say can turn my stomach besides the fact that you are actually sitting here. Will ? I'll be back, once the air clears."
With that, she walked out of the diner. Gregors seemed to ignore the sarcasm in the woman's voice and looked at Will, who still wore his best pokerface but with a slight smirk at what had just happened.
"Women ! What can you do with them ?", Gregors said with a smile.
Will shrugged. "She's a very strong woman, Constable. She certainly have no love for you or your men."
"Some people just don't agree with my law keeping methods here in Currentburg Township. But no one has come up to my face and expressed their true dislike to me so, what can you do ? Right ?", he told Will.
"And if they ever did ?", Will asked and Gregors' smile turned into a smirk.
"Well, if they ever do, then I would gladly take suggestions on how to make this town a bit better. Or even better yet, I would gladly step aside and let them place who they would feel could do a better job of keeping those rowdy hoodlums on the east side in their place. Tsk ! It'll never happen."
Will shook his head as he raised his coffee cup up to his mouth and said, "Well, never say never, Constable."
Will smirked at how he handled the conversation those few weeks ago. Just to shake the man up to let him know that someone out there was looking over his shoulder and that if he didn't shape up, that someone will challenge his job away from him. Maybe or maybe not him.
___________________
As he finished opening the package that his supervisors had sent, besides Ania's RN exam stuff were a clip of money. Some money from his account. In an envelope was more money, sent from his supervisors, so he could pay the pilot of the passenger glider for passage home. Will was going to buy Ania's way to Downstream. He had planned to get his hands on another glider once back Downstream and fly them both back to Currentburg Township once Ania had taken her test. Two registered and lisensed handguns with ammunition with a new i.d. badge. And last but not least, a data card was in the package along with a pad to play it on.
Once placing the card into the pad and punching in his identification number, Will heard the device whir and then began to hum as it showed him a three dimentional picture of one of his superviors. The one he were on a somewhat friend level with.
"Well, well, Tasker ! After not hearing from you, we all had feared the worst. We were about to turn on your homing transplant and sent some of the trackers out to retrieve your body. If it were possible. We received your last report about those contrabanders who tried to ambush you guys. You did what you had to do, buddy ! The world is better off without them."
Will sighed at what the man had said.
"What I'm curious about is why didn't Belitski go look for your remains ? Just two months ago we received a call from her stating that she was retiring from her training position seeing that you were dead, yet you were alive and recouping just a few miles from where you both had last reported from. She seemed a bit whipped on another project of her own."
That had made Will sit up. She was alive !? And she didn't come looking for him ?
"That information you had requested on Robert Gregors. At first we weren't able to get anything on a 'Robert Gregors' with the description you gave us. But we found a 'Robbie Gregory' with the same description and boy, did you run across what we think to be a shapeshifter ! He has been in and out of trouble with the law since he was 12 years old. But somehow he manage to slip through and then disappeared."
"Starting at 12, he was busted a few times doing five finger discounts and has spent brief time Downstream each time. At 18 years old, he was found on the scene of a double murder. Even though he said that he saw the whole thing happen and gave a detailed descreiption of what had happened, they were never able to finger him for any of it. Five years after the board here throws the case out, a deputy by the name of Wes Davenport from there Currentburg Township sent in a report to us. He had asked for a few more men to be sent out the township. The town was having a slight problem with the roughnecks. We sent out men. The town calmed. Davenport sent our men back and then did a town recuitment. Robbie Gregory wasn't among them."
"Yeah. But I bet Robert Gregors were.", Will said to himself. "Shapeshifter."
"No one has ever sent in an official report on your Gregors guy from the township but we do have a few individual complaints. Over a hundred to be exact. But when we sent out a guy to the area to ask questions, those 'said individuals' didn't want to talk. And according to our investigator, at the time, 'Deputy' Gregors made sure that he had a few of the men under him to keep a watchful eye on the proceedings."
This went on for another minute how a group of mauraders had drifted into town and took up 'shop' on the east end. People told Gregors to put a leash on the situation or they would take drastic measures of their own and have him stripped of his position.
"Gregors, from the last individual report, spends his nights out in the east end. His official way of keeping the peace. But the people are still unhappy with his work. But no one there have enough balls to step up and take the position from him."
Will frowned as he sat back against the headboard of the bed he were sitting in. Then an idea hit him.
___________________
Ania had almost frowned as she heard the knock on her door. She placed her pen down, 3/4ths finished with her essay's final draft and looked at her watch. It was a quarter to nine. And she hadn't expected anyone. Well, then again, she had wanted to see a certain person but had told him to get his room at the inn.
"Who is it ?"
Tap-tap. Tap !
If she weren't mistaken, after only hearing the knock twice, that was who she had wanted to see.
She checked her hair in the mirror and then went to went to the door.
"I thought you were going to stay at the inn tonight ?", she asked through the door.
"I am going to go back to my room tonight. I just came over to ask you if you wanted to take a walk and have a drink ?"
The door opened and Ania came face to face with Will.
He was dressed in all dark clothing along with his long black leather coat. His blond hair combed back and he had trimmed his beard,neatly. He wore a nonchalant smirk on his face that turned into a happier smirk when he focused fully on her.
"Hi.", he said to her.
She smiled at him and moved away from the doorway. He slowly walked in and she closed the door.
Will paused before completely walking past Ania and leaned over to her. Again, she smiled, leaned forward, and gave him a cute kiss on the lips as he touched her waist.
"Mm.", he moaned to her as he turned her aloose. He raised his eyebrow and asked her, "Did you finish at least half of your essay ? I don't want to drag you away from it if you're not at least halfway finished with it. It's very important, you know."
"I know how important it is. I've finished it and I have finished rewritting 3/4ths of it to give Helen in the morning. Now, what is this about a walk and a drink that you were inviting me to ?", she asked, folding her arms as he walked over to couch.
"Well, I have to admit that I do have an alternative motive. I wanted to check out one of the bars on the east end of town. You know, see what kind of bad seedlings this town posess. Plus, I distinctivly remember you telling me that you had always wanted to go to one of those bars to sow your wild oates. And I don't trust any of those morons down there if you were to go venturing down there alone out of your curiosity. So, I thought of you, and how you wouldn't want me going down there by my mysterious lonesome with my cast and all. And, well, I didn't want you worrying about me, here, all by your lonesome. So, I got dressed and popped by here to see if you wanted to go with me."
When Will looked up, he saw Ania walk back into the living room wearing her long dark olive colored coat that had reached her ankels, her hair was out of it's ponytail and down, and her lips that were bare were now in their beautiful maroon hue.
As he stood, he told her, "Boy, do you know how to clean up, quick and nice ?!"
That was when she noticed that he had a holstered gun at his side.
"Thanks. Where's your cane?"
"Didn't need it."
"But will we need that ?", she asked nodding to the gun at his side.
"I doubt it. But I don't want to take any chances putting your life at risk if it gets a little too rowdy before I can get you out of there.", he told her.
Ania sighed as she fixed his collar up and brushed the lapel. "Promise me you won't use it.", she said softly but concerned.
'I can't promise you that.', ran through his mind as he stroked her cheek with his gloved hand but he knew that was the last thing that she had needed to hear.
"Ania, I promise not to use it. But if a guy tries to move up on you, I may have to flash it to scare them off.", he told her.
And it made her smirk at him. "Always telling me what I want to hear ! Yeah, yeah, come on, Tasker !"
Ania grabbed his arm and they walked out the door after he reached over and turned off the lights.
"Now, who's being demanding ?", he asked her as they started down the walkway to the main road.
______________________
Zerod looked up when he heard a knock on the Drop-off center's door that was open to see that Will and Ania had made their way there. But the storm had finally let up after three and a half days and all that was blowing this morning was a constant but cool breeze.
"Welcome, you two. What did you think of the storm that just passed through?", he asked them as they walked in.
"It was a rough one but it served it's purpose.", Will said slightly hinting to Ania by placing his hand at the small of her back.
She smirked and said, "I'm just glad that it's over. Zerod, where's Jacob ?"
"He's in the back."
Ania's anger came back to her all at once as she took off through the large hanger full of supplies. Zerod frowned as he looked at how quickly Ania took off and then looked at Will.
"What is going on ?", Zerod asked.
"Ania !", Will called out and then with Zerod they started off for what was about to happen. "Three and a half days ago, Jacob broke into her apartment and trashed the living room."
"He did what ?!", Zerod said in disbelief.
The moment she saw Jacob working in the corner, she started to unzip her coat.
When Jacob looked up he felt Ania's fist connect to his jaw, causing him to stumble back and up against the back wall of the hanger.
"You bastard !", she yelled out to him as Jacob stood up straight, touching his jaw.
Will swore to himself that if it weren't for the fact that he knew Jacob would retaliate against what had just happened, he would of patted Ania on the shoulder for the direct punch that she had just threw but instead he had to stop her because she looked as if she was going to pounce again.
Will grabbed Ania to stop her for going after the man again.
"Ania, no !", he told her.
"You stopped me before, Will. Don't do this to me again !", she told him.
"I said 'no'. I think you got your point across.", he told her but paused as he saw Jacob, out of the corner of his eye, started over to them.
Will held up his right gloved hand to Jacob and said, "Don't even think about laying a hand on her , pal !"
"Ania ! What is so special about him that you could not be with me ?", the man asked her.
"Dammit, Jacob ! I have no feelings for you ! I've told you this before ! What more can I say to you?! You ripped my parents' photo, you've broken my things, and you are lucky as hell that I haven't gone to Gregor's and told him about you breaking into my place ! You had no right !", the young woman told him, irate.
Jacob just shook his head. "You can not hear me. Not with him here. Sheltering you. Filling your head with lies how he cares about you. Just to sleep with you."
Will frowned as he kept his cool, barely. "Hey !! You watch your damn mouth! This woman here took care of me and helped me back on my feet and I owe everything to her. So you have no clue what . . "
"I saw you grabbing on her at her apartment !", Jacob interrupted Will.
They all frowned at him.
"What ?!", Will said turning completely to Jacob.
"You were grabbing all over her a few days ago, in her door way. Filling her head with lies. Ania, can't you see that he is just having his way with you until he is better. Then, he is out of here, like the 'stream."
Ania shook her head and said, "You were even watching me then! As a storm was going on! You pervert! You sick pervert!"
"Zerod . . ", Jacob started, looking to explain his side.
But Zerod interrupted him. "Jacob, maybe you should go home and get some rest for a few days. Away from your room here at the center. Go see your parents, son. Rest."
"What for?"
"Once you're rested, come back and continue to help me here."
Zerod was just about the person he trusted and lately, even he seemed to have no problem with this 'fly by night' con man.
But Jacob nodded.
"Fine. I'll go home for a few days, Zerod. To see my folks. Because you asked me to.", he told the man.
He turned to leave but then looked at Ania.
"When he does leave you, and we all know that he will, I will be right there to tell you 'I told you so'. Believe me, you will want to be with me then.", Jacob told her.
Ania shook her head and looked away from him as Will pushed Jacob away from her.
"You just stay the hell away from her ! Understand ?!", he said to Jacob.
Jacob said nothing as he turned and walked across the large hanger and out the door after grabbing his things.
Will untensed once Jacob was gone and he looked at Ania.
"Are you alright ?", he asked her.
"I'll be okay. Let's just get what you came for and get you back to the hospital."
"Right.", Will said to her.
They both looked at Zerod, who was trying to come down after what had just happened. He looked at the two.
"Uh, Zerod ?", Will said to the man. "We just came for my package. Sorry about the little sideshow."
The older man nodded as he started towards the front of the hanger where they had came from. "Of course! Of course. This way. I have your package from Downstream just up front, Will. Follow me, the both of you."
After following the man up to the front, Zerod handed a medium sized package to Will. Will looked it over and after inspecting it, then began to tear open the brown generic wrapping after thanking Zerod.
The man nodded and then looked at Ania.
"Are you okay ?", Zerod asked her.
"I'm alright.", she told him as they stepped out the front door.
Will noticed that the older man was moving Ania out of his earshot and it was just as well. He was sure that others would have questions once they realized that she were with the man that she had tended over for the past two and a half months.
"Ania ? Is it true ? That you are with William now ?", he asked with a whisper.
Ania said nothing as she looked off towards the town. That had answered Zerod's question.
He smirked with a sly "Uh-huh."
"Well, I owe Helen five dollars.", he told her, still smirking.
Ania's eyebrows went up as she looked at Zerod. "Five dollars ? For what ?"
"Well, she made a bet with me that you would of fallen for William by the time his leg cast came off. I said the arm cast"
Ania rolled her eyes. "Wonderful ! Everyone is keeping tabs on my love life !"
"That's right, dear. We publish your doings in the sports section of the weekly newsletter, now that you mention it.", he said with a smile.
"You are so funny, sometimes.", she said, blandly.
"I try."
Will walked out of the Drop-off Center and Zerod looked at him.
"Well, Will, I hope your package has brought you some good news."
"It has. I am to tell you that a passenger glider will be coming through here five days from today to pick up some passengers to take them Downstream.", Will told Zerod.
Zerod nodded as Ania looked at Will. But when he looked at her, Ania turned and avoided his gaze.
A few minutes later, they departed from the Drop-off Center much quieter than they had arrived. Will carried his package under his right arm as he made his way with the cane in his left hand.
"Hey ?", he said to Ania who was walking a few steps ahead of him.
"What ?", she said looking back at him.
"We need to talk.", Will told her and stopped in his place.
Ania noticed that he had stopped and stopped herself a few feet away.
"About what, Will?" She paused for a second and then shrugged. "It's quite obvious that you will be leaving on that passenger glider coming through here in a few days, so why don't we just cut this short here."
"Well, just to update you before you sock me like you socked that wack job Jacob, let me just tell you that, yes, I am going to be on that passenger glider.", he said.
"Well, there you go!", she told him.
"But I'm not going to be alone. You will be coming with me."
Ania paused and then said, "Will! I told you that I don't want to leave here. I thought that you said that you will stay here for a while."
"I will be coming back."
"Right !", she said, curtly. "You're going to go Downstream and forget about Currentburg Township."
"And you ? After the past three and a half days we have spent together? Ania, that's not going to happen. Listen, five days from now, I will be getting on that passenger glider and I hope that you will be with me. You will have to be on that glider with me."
Ania shook her head and said, "Why?"
"Because, tonight or tomorrow, you will be taking this.", he told her as he reached into half open package and pulled out a packet wrapped in plastic.
"What's that?"
Will smiled as he dropped the package but held the packet up to Ania as he moved closer to him.
"This is the registration, study guide, and entrance exam for the Registered Nurse examination that will be held two months from now Downstream."
She paused for a second and then placed her hand on her chest, surprized. "What ?!"
"I know for a fact that you will past the entrance exam that Helen will supervise over you either tonight or tomorrow. Then, you, with me, will fly Downstream and hand deliver your sealed exam to the officials. They will check it over, along with your references from Helen on your work here. They will send you a confirmation data card on where and when to go to take the final exam. And once you pass that one with flying colors I will take you out and we will celebrate. And then you and I will come back here, together, so I can flaunt you off as my very intelligent lady who happens to be the town's newest Registered Nurse."
He watched her surprized reaction with a satisfied smile.
"Will !", she said as she finally took the packet from him. She looked it over and saw the official seal from the registration offices Downstream. She looked at him. "You did this for me ?"
"Of course, I did it for you. Who else would I do it for ?", he asked her.
"But it takes months to even get through to the registration offices Downstream. How did you get the whole registration packet with the entrance exam and study guide ?!", she asked him.
"I know a few people Downstream and in my department who owed me a favor or two and they pulled some strings for me. For you."
Will stepped up to her and leaned closer to her, even though they were the only ones on the path that led back to town. "Even though we were in the throws of passion, I meant what I said about wanting to be your Mr. Right, Ania."
"But you ordered this when? It couldn't of gotten here overnight from Downstream.", she said, still taken.
"I ordered it when I first called Downstream a few weeks ago. To say 'Thank you' to you for all that you have done for me. But over the weeks, well . . it just turned into something more than a small gesture.", he told her, almost meekly. Very out of character for the tough guy he were.
She blushed at him as she placed one arm around his neck as she held the packet up against their chests. "You are so going to get lucky tonight !"
He chuckled placing his casted hand on her waist and used his right hand to stroke her cheek. Will kissed her, gently on the lips. "I didn't do this for you to get 'lucky', Ania."
"Uh-huh.", she whispered to him and then kissed him deeply and intensely to the point where he had to take a deep breath and swallow.
"But as I can see, it definitely did not hurt my chances, though. Definitely not !"
She smiled at his comment as he pecked her on the lips one last time.
As they started off again to the hospital, Will looked at her as he took her left hand into his right hand and asked, "What if Helen says that I have to stay at the hospital tonight ?"
"I'll stay with you. I am still your aide, Tasker."
He gave her a devilish smirk and said, "I have never known to receive that kind of treatment in any hospital that I have been in but I am so happy I was admitted into this one ! I love the service !"
Ania shook her head at him as they both chuckled.
___________________
20 minutes later, when they walked into the main double doors of the hospital, all the staff paused and looked at the two individuals. Dora sat behind the registration desk with a look on her face that could have stopped the 'stream winds, altogether. Thank goodness there weren't many people were in the emergency room due to everyone being prepared for the Slipstream storm that had passed through over the past three and a half days.
"Morning.", Will said with a smirk to them as he placed his hand at the small of Ania's back and gave her a slight nudge which started them off down the hall towards Helen's office.
They responded with 'Good Morning' back at the two.
Since the moment some of the nurses had saw Will walk out of the hospital, completely dressed, and towards the Plateau Abodes where Ania had lived, 10 minutes after she had left for the night, the rumor mill had been burning up !
When he didn't show back up that night as the Slipstream storm had gotten worse, Helen knew exactly where Will had disappeared to and that she wasn't going to worry about him. But the message that she recieved from Ania a few hours later, confirmed Will's whereabouts and in he and Ania's relationship. Seeing how they had been getting along extremely well over the past two and a half months, it would of been just a matter of time when either the two would advance their relationship or just remain the friends they had became.
Dora, Ania's known foe in the hospital, asked Helen did she find it acceptable that Ania had gotten personal with a patient. Helen told her that Ania was a grown woman and Will Tasker was a healthy grown man who was attracted to Ania due to how well she took care of him when he was unable to do so. Whatever blossomed between the two was either meant to be or just a temporary thing ! Either way, it was their business.
___________________
When her office door opened and she saw the two walk in, Helen couldn't help but smile at them.
"Well ! I was wondering when you both would show back up here.", she said to him.
"Actually, Helen, when you saw me leave here that afternoon as the storm was coming in, I was on my way to check on Ania. She was worried that someone was following her and come to find out, someone were.", he told the woman.
The smile on Helen's face disappeared. "My goodness ! Ania, who was it ?"
"Jacob.", she said, quietly.
"Jacob ?"
"When I had left here and arrived home, he had already gotten inside of my apartment and trashed my living room. Just as Will arrived, he ran out and off. So over the past three and a half days, Will stayed with me to make sure that he didn't return. Besides, Will would not of been up to making it's way back here with a weak left leg through the Slipstream storm.", Ania said as she removed her coat and sat down.
"Dear God ! What on earth could posses Jacob to do such a thing ? He's usually so quiet and to himself."
"It's always the quiet ones, Helen. He was reacting because of me. For some reason, Jacob feels that Ania could have a better life being with him than helping me recover and getting me back on my feet."
Helen shook her head as Will removed his coat, feeling a slight ache in his left thigh.
"Zerod made him go home and take a few days off. I really don't see how that is going to help. He has been stalking me for almost two weeks. I made it clear to him a while ago that I have no romantic interest in him. At all !", Ania said and then sighed, loudly. "Enough about him. I have something to show you, Helen."
She was still a bit taken at what they had told her about Jacob but Helen turned her attention to what Ania had showed her as she stood and walked over to her.
"What is this ?", the older woman asked.
"It's the registration and entrance exam packet for the Registered Nurse exam which will be held in about two months Downstream.", Ania said with a proud smile.
Helen's jaw gaped. "But how did you receive an up-to-date exam, study guides, and registration form, together ?"
Ania pointed to Will as he sat down in the chair that was next to Ania's chair.
"William ?", Helen said, more amused than anything.
He smirked slightly and said, "When I first contacted my superiors Downstream, I sort of asked them for a favor that they owed me. I knew how much it would of meant to Ania. So to show her how thankful I were with all that she had done for me, I had them pull some strings and send this packet."
"Now, if that isn't the most sweetest and thoughtful gesture ! You truly are the gentleman I knew you were to be.", she told him.
Will just hid a blush by saying, "Well, my part is done. Now, she needs a certified Doc to administer her through the test."
"Oh, well, yes ! I would like to think that I am a certified doctor. I didn't spend six years of my life Downstream studying and taking tests. Of course ! We can start this evening. And when the next passenger glider comes through, . . "
"Ania and I will be on it. Instead of just sending the packet back through the mail, with the chance of it getting lost, I have to go Downstream and tie up loose ends there with my supervisors. So, I figured Ania could hand deliver the packet herself seeing that there will be another test two months from now. And she could stay there for the next two months, take the test and then come home a certified registered nurse."
"Uh-huh. And will she be returning from Downstream, alone ?", Helen asked.
She had to pry.
Will sat back in his chair. "No. Once she takes her test, I should be finished tying up my loose ends. And we both will return here. Together."
"I see." Helen said, slyly.
Ania cleared her throat, a bit uncomfortable at the fact that they were talking about her even though she was sitting right there. "I need to get something to drink. My throat is a bit dry."
She sat the packet down on Helen's desk and nearly stumbled as she walked out. Helen glanced at William, waiting to hear more on what he had planned on doing.
"I have no intentions in hurting her, Helen. I really do care about her and I've decided that what happened to me was God's way of telling me that I'd better rethink my priorities. You can't catch every single bad guy there is without them trying to stop you from catching them with a gun or a knife."
"What will you do here ?", she asked as she sat next to him.
"Well, from what I understand, this Constable Gregors needs a good peacekeeper in his ranks.", he told Helen.
She shook her head and said to Will, "We need to replace Gregors, altogether. He's a disgusting man who is so shady it's a wonder that the seedy parts haven't tried to overpower the much better parts of this town."
"Hm. Then, that is something for me to consider. But don't worry about her, Helen. I will take care of her while she's Downstream. And I swear on my life which you and she saved, I will not let anyone get close enough to hurt her."
Helen smiled and patted his cast. "I believe you, William. I believe you. And I think you should come with me so I can take an X-ray of that cast. When do you and Ania plan on leaving for Downstream ?"
"A passenger glider will be coming through here and heading back Downstream five days from today. We are expected to be on that one."
"Then I'd better make sure that she is situated and make sure she has enough for a ticket there and back. And enough money for when she's there."
"Helen, I have already taken care of all of that.", he told her. "Trust me."
He looked at the look on Helen's face. It made him blush and look away as she smiled at him. 'This was a man who didn't blush much, if at all, and didn't realize how much he now looked like a man on the verge of falling in love!' she thought.
The door opened and Ania walked back in.
Helen stood. She walked over to her desk and began to open the packet. "Ania, dear, you have to get a move on if you plan on catching that passenger glider in five days with a finished entrance exam. So, today is an off day for you, while you complete your registration forms and the written part of your entrance examination."
"But I do get to work for the next four days, right ?", she asked as Helen handed her a folder of papers from the packet.
"Of course, but you need to concentrate on your written essay, this evening."
"Okay.", she told Helen.
"In the meanwhile, you can take your patient up to his room and make sure that he has all of his things together for his discharge, this afternoon.", Helen then told her.
"Huh ?", Ania said looking at William and then back at her.
"Once I do an X-ray on William's cast here today, it may come off today or possibly while he's Downstream. But I have no reason to keep him here. Seeing that he is getting around just fine since his leg cast has come off, William is free to go. And seeing that he is a new resident, I will call Mr. Halls who runs that very clean and well kept inn, and have him place William in one of his best rooms."
Ania cleared her throat again and said, "Oh. Okay."
"Unless, that is, you would like for William to stay with you for the next few days until you both leave for the next two months on the passenger glider heading Downstream."
Ania froze and then looked at Will. To Will, she looked so worried to be found out about the obvious. So he stood up and stepped up to Ania.
Ania swallowed hard as she felt his hands on her waist. "What ?", she asked him in an almost whisper.
"Ania, it's okay. Helen knows.", he said to her as he leaned his face towards hers.
Still worried, Ania said, "She knows what ? Will, what are you . . . "
Before she could try and retaliate, Will kissed Ania, lovingly, on the lips as he pulled her into his arms, completely. Helen smiled as she saw Ania not put up a fight and succumb to the man's kiss. She would of been a fool if she had tried to. From what she could see, William was an excellent 'wooer' when it came to kissing a woman !
The door had opened while they were in mid-kiss and the doctor and aide who walked in, paused. The aide smiled as did the doctor, in surprize as their 'show' ended.
The female aide said, "Well, that's nothing like the mouth to mouth that I learned to use on the patients."
Will kissed Ania's forehead with a knowing smirk as Ania finally opened her eyes, touching the corners of her mouth with her fingers.
"You and me both !", the aide heard Ania said.
She sighed, deeply. as she looked up at Will. "Show off .", she whispered to him.
Will just nodded once at her as he raised his eyebrows to her.
Needless to say, word had got around the hospital before they had even made it up to Will's hospital room.
___________________
Helen ran an x-ray on Will's cast and saw that for safety reasons, Will should keep the cast on for another two weeks. By then, he and Ania would be Downstream and Will could have the cast removed at a hospital there.
Will looked at Ania as she sat in a chair across from his bed, filling out her paperwork to register herself for her exam.
"You know, for the past couple of days, you haven't written in your journal."
Ania looked up from the guide at him and smirked. "Well, I have been quite busy over the past few days."
He returned a smirk and said, "Granted. But can I ask you a question ?"
"Go ahead."
"Did you write in your journal because you couldn't find someone to confide in?", he asked her and Ania paused looking at him.
"I can confide in you.", she said, quietly.
"And since you have, no journal.", he pointed out.
"Point made.", she told him. "Hm. I guess now that I think about it, I truly didn't talk with many of the other aides here. I mean I've had lunch with them and we'd talk about certain things. But not personal things. Besides Helen, of course."
"I'm flattered to be the only one you truly confide in."
"Well, I had no choice, Tasker. One, you wouldn't stop reading my journal and two, well, you've seen me naked."
"I'm extremely flattered about that !", he said with a smile and they both chuckled.
After a few minutes, Will looked across at Ania and stood up. He walked over to her and sat next to her on the small two person chair. "I'll get a room at the inn. So I don't crowd you."
"And I'll get a room when we go Downstream.", she told him.
"No, you won't.", he told her.
Ania paused and looked at him. "Stop that."
"Stop what ?", he asked her.
"Being demanding towards me."
"Demanding towards you ?", he repeated.
"Telling me what I am going to do. Where I'm going to stay.", she told him.
Will paused for a second and looked at her, after putting his arm across the back of the two person chair they were sitting in.
"Have I been doing that ?", he asked her.
"'You, with me, will fly Downstream to take your test.' 'No you don't get a room when we go Downstream, together.' And what about just completely 'outing' us infront of Helen, Dr. Evers, and Tess ? I mean, you didn't even consult me before you had done it.", she told him.
"Ania, I had no idea that doctor and nurse would walk in. Helen knew that there was something between us but when she brought it up, you looked like you had just been caught doing something that you were forbidden in doing. So, I just pushed it along. My place has two bedrooms Downstream. I just figure that you could save your money and stay in my guest bedroom. But you flying with me Downstream ? I was a bit demanding on that. But it's just that, I haven't been with a woman that I am so interested in many years. And after so many years of barking orders to Belitski and her not having a problem, I just have to remember that I'm with my lover now and not my bounty partner, anymore."
"Hm.", she said to him. "I guess that was a feeble enough apology."
Will smirked at Ania as she went back to filling out her papers. She then paused and looked over at him to see that he was watching her.
"Will ?", she said, softly.
"Hm ?", he said just as softly.
"Are you sure that you are ready to give all of that up ? I mean, you have been doing it for 20 years. And something as intense like that, you just can't give up. It's become the way of life for you."
He nodded and said, "I know. But now I feel that I want a new way of life."
"Will ?", she started again.
But he stopped her by holding up his hand. "Did you know that I'm going to be 45 in two months ?"
"When I read your i.d. I found that out.", she told him.
"I was so hellbent on taking out every bad guy that had ever crossed my path, I never stopped to consider what would I have if I ever was seriously injured or had finally decided to retire ? I would be an old bastard with money from what I saved from my bounties with a very empty two bedroom apartment to live in Downstream. I would probably get bored, head back out after a year or two of retirement, and try and start 'hunting' again. Go out there, get careless, and the next time, I won't be so lucky and get killed. I'm glad that this wake-up call happened. If it hadn't, we wouldn't be here, together. You wouldn't be filling out these papers for another few months after they finished with all of their legal mumble jumble crap Downstream. And I wouldn't be feeling like one of the most luckiest guys on the face of this crumbled up earth."
After saying that to her, Will leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose as Ania smiled at him.
"You are so getting lucky tonight ! Oh, well, not tonight but tomorrow night. I have to finish this written exam tonight.", she told him and he chuckled at her.
She touched his knee. "But listen, I'm no fool and I know that living that way for more than twenty years, you can not just give it up, just like that."
"Ania ?"
"Will, . . ."
Before they could start an actual argument, Will silenced her by kissing her, fully, on the lips. But it hadn't calmed her the way he had wanted it to, for the look on her face was quite serious.
She sighed, apparently, and looked away from his concerned stare.
Ania was that worried that he were going to leave her to keep carrying on bounty hunting.
___________________
She sat up for the majority of the evening while writing her essay final draft. She was so caught up over Will Tasker and he was doing the unimaginable for her. Helping her get Downstream. Letting her stay with him as she studied for her test. Getting her the entrance exam so she would be able to take the final exam. Returning back here to Currentburg Township with her.
What was he looking to get out of all this ? He had told her that he cared about her and that he had wanted to change his life around and be with her.
As much as she had wanted to truly believe every word he were telling her, Ania's mother and father taught her at an early age that you shouldn't believe everything that you are told. Especially by someone that you couldn't truly place your trust and heart into.
Ania knew she cared about this man. But the thought of what he used to do and how he did it for so long, she knew that it would never leave him. He was a gung-ho type where he was determined to get his man. Or woman, if you saw it from her point of view as far as they had went. A die hard look would come over his face, that intense look, when he would look at her, before they had slept together for the first time. How he wanted her.
Since their first night together, a softness would begin to blend in with his intense look. He would look at her, adoringly, as if he had longed to be with her all his life ! But the moment, bounty hunting came up in any of their conversations, a hardened look would cross his face as he thought about his past jobs. Then, either he would talk about it or her would inch away from the subject. Perfect case in point, he had kissed her before they would begin to argue back at the hospital earlier, trying to take her mind off of the obvious.
What really bothered Ania was that, what if in the near future, they would get to the point where true emotions would be expressed and then he would step back and realize what was really going on, Will would get cold feet and run on her. Back to what he knew and were comfortable with.
Losing love scared her. So, she wanted to be extremely careful who she gave her heart to. But seeing that they talked and had gotten to know one another for the past couple of weeks, they learned a number of things about one another. Likes and dislikes. He knew that she didn't want to be hurt. And Will had told her, repeatedly, over the past couple of days, since their fateful morning together, that he had no intention in hurting her. Her heart told her to trust him. But something in her told her to hold on until she was positively sure.
Ania sighed as she placed her pen down as she sat at her kitchen table. She had finally gotten what she had wanted. Someone who would care about her. A guy of her choice to fall for her.
But this was happening way too fast. Wasn't it ? It felt too right to be wrong.
Maybe she should stay away from Will for a while. She was getting too attached. Too involved. Thinking of too many things all at once. She needed to concentrate on this, her Registered Nurse final exam and she needed to keep her mind on this essay.
For right now.
___________________
Helen's friend, Mr. Halls, had set Will up in a very nice room in his inn. It was quiet and Will was positive that this inn was a bit more upscale than any inn he had stayed in over the years. Some didn't even have windows. This one did. And his window looked out over the majority of the town. And towards the east end of the large town, was where the lights were brightest this time of night and where the most noise was coming from. Nothing to call the law about but enough to raise an eyebrow.
Will had already came to the conclusion that Currentburg Township was a town that was doing pretty well for themselves. They had their own farms on the outskirts along with produce and herd farms. Everyone seemed to have a bit of money and/or worked for it. He rarely saw anyone on the streets as far as homeless went. There was the seedy part of the town on the east end but they rarely reared their heads during the day and would party and drink at night like they were doing now. And surprizingly, Will noticed that the wild ones kept their place.
Almost.
There would be a robbery reported here or a mugging there. There was only one death reported last month. But this Constable Gregors was what had peaked Will's interest. He had introduced himself to Will the first day Ania had taken him out to get a few items for himself. From what Helen and Ania had told him and from what Will had seen on his own of Gregors, the man was a bit shady.
He was sitting with Ania, having lunch with her in the diner that he had chose that first day out. They had already ordered their meals and were waiting for the food to arrive. Will had his first cup of coffee in weeks and Ania had a glass of water.
When Will looked over Ania's shoulder and at the door of the diner, he saw a stout man walk in. His outfit was a bit dusty for it to be just the beginning of the afternoon but Will shrugged it off because what was more important was that the man had looked directly at him.
For a brief minute, Will had wished that he had his gun at his side, in case this yahoo had any intentions on confronting him.
Ania noticed the look on Will's face and she turned to see what had caught his eye. She then looked back at Will with a very grossed out look on her face. Will glanced at her and then looked back at the man.
"Well, you finally get to meet Gregors.", she said quietly to him.
Will frowned as he gave her a look. "You have got to be kidding me! Him ?!"
She made an 'I told you so !' face.
Gregors noticed that the young woman that was with the lawman had whispered something to him. He had seen the woman a few times at the local hospital. Sansweet. She was pretty and he could see why the lawman had found an attachment in her. But due to the look on her face, she had already knew what he was about and had no kind words to say about him for the lawman gave him another glance after the Sansweet woman said something to him. But then again, the only women who did give him a second look nowadays were the women on the east end of town.
"Well, now! I see that our Downstream lawman is finally up and about.", he said as he walked up to their table.
Ania didn't look up at him but she looked at Will to see that he had showed 'face' and stood up on his casted left leg and his right leg to greet the man, face to face. And he did it without stumbling and without much leverage from their table. She had went to say something to Will but decided not to for his sake in front of this pig of a man.
"I'm 'about' the best way I can.", Will said in a voice that Ania hadn't heard him use since the moment he had awoken from his coma. Very defiant. "Will Tasker."
"Constable Gregors. I've heard of you. You've been through here before, Mr. Tasker.", he told Will as if he didn't remember on his own.
"That's right ! About 6 years back. Rounding up two bounties that were seen in the area at the time. I don't remember you being the local Constable then. Some guy by the name of 'Davenport'. Good man. Did he retire ?", Will asked more prying than curious.
"No, unfortunatly, about five years ago, some young man came through here, hell bent on getting even with Davenport because something about his brother being killed Downstream by the law. He shot Davenport and Davenport shot him. Both died. Before Davenport died at the hospital from his wound, he appointed me the new Constable, seeing that I were there when that young man shot him.", Gregors told him.
Will's eyebrows went up with interest. "Really ? Well, what was the young man's name who had done Davenport in ? I may of played an unfortunate part in all of this."
Ania frowned as Will sat back down in his chair. He glanced at her as Gregors pulled up a chair from and empty table.
"Oh ! Where are my manners ? This is Nurse Sansweet, she has been like my right hand since I arrived here. She told me that you had stopped by the hospital when I was first brought in almost two months ago."
Gregors knew the woman didn't like him so he didn't pursue any conversation with her. He just nodded at her and then tipped his hat at her. "Ma'am ?"
Ania gave him a forced smirk.
"Let's see.", Gregors said, thinking back. "I believe that the young man's last name was Yearderly. That's right. Drew Yearderly."
A sinking feeling settled in Will stomach as he nodded. "I believe that were the same last name of one of the two men that my partner and I had taken back Downstream."
He looked at Ania to see the disappointment on her face. She swallowed and stood up. "If you'd excuse me, gentlemen, while you two are talking about things I do not wish to hear about, I'm going to go run a quick errand and I'll be back to enjoy my lunch when it arrives."
"I apologize, Nurse Sansweet. You're right. This isn't something to discuss around a pretty lady like yourself. I'm sorry if I offended you and ruined your appitite.", he told her.
Ania frowned as she pushed her chair in. "Constable Gregors, I work at the hospital. You know, the place where you and your men have sent a number of innocent bystanders over the past few years to be patched up from your carelessness and mistakes."
"Mistakes do happen, Nurse Sansweet.", he told her with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah. A mistake like, 'Oops ! I pushed this citizen to the ground while shielding them from the occasional bar fight that has broken out.' is what you are refering to. But what I am refering to is 'Oops ! We found these two dead bystanders behind Meck's Pub even though they were reported missing one week ago.' type of mistakes are what I'm used to seeing, Constable Gregors.", Ania told him as she folded her arms across her chest. "And I have seen much worst than that. But giving your reputation in this town, nothing you do or say can turn my stomach besides the fact that you are actually sitting here. Will ? I'll be back, once the air clears."
With that, she walked out of the diner. Gregors seemed to ignore the sarcasm in the woman's voice and looked at Will, who still wore his best pokerface but with a slight smirk at what had just happened.
"Women ! What can you do with them ?", Gregors said with a smile.
Will shrugged. "She's a very strong woman, Constable. She certainly have no love for you or your men."
"Some people just don't agree with my law keeping methods here in Currentburg Township. But no one has come up to my face and expressed their true dislike to me so, what can you do ? Right ?", he told Will.
"And if they ever did ?", Will asked and Gregors' smile turned into a smirk.
"Well, if they ever do, then I would gladly take suggestions on how to make this town a bit better. Or even better yet, I would gladly step aside and let them place who they would feel could do a better job of keeping those rowdy hoodlums on the east side in their place. Tsk ! It'll never happen."
Will shook his head as he raised his coffee cup up to his mouth and said, "Well, never say never, Constable."
Will smirked at how he handled the conversation those few weeks ago. Just to shake the man up to let him know that someone out there was looking over his shoulder and that if he didn't shape up, that someone will challenge his job away from him. Maybe or maybe not him.
___________________
As he finished opening the package that his supervisors had sent, besides Ania's RN exam stuff were a clip of money. Some money from his account. In an envelope was more money, sent from his supervisors, so he could pay the pilot of the passenger glider for passage home. Will was going to buy Ania's way to Downstream. He had planned to get his hands on another glider once back Downstream and fly them both back to Currentburg Township once Ania had taken her test. Two registered and lisensed handguns with ammunition with a new i.d. badge. And last but not least, a data card was in the package along with a pad to play it on.
Once placing the card into the pad and punching in his identification number, Will heard the device whir and then began to hum as it showed him a three dimentional picture of one of his superviors. The one he were on a somewhat friend level with.
"Well, well, Tasker ! After not hearing from you, we all had feared the worst. We were about to turn on your homing transplant and sent some of the trackers out to retrieve your body. If it were possible. We received your last report about those contrabanders who tried to ambush you guys. You did what you had to do, buddy ! The world is better off without them."
Will sighed at what the man had said.
"What I'm curious about is why didn't Belitski go look for your remains ? Just two months ago we received a call from her stating that she was retiring from her training position seeing that you were dead, yet you were alive and recouping just a few miles from where you both had last reported from. She seemed a bit whipped on another project of her own."
That had made Will sit up. She was alive !? And she didn't come looking for him ?
"That information you had requested on Robert Gregors. At first we weren't able to get anything on a 'Robert Gregors' with the description you gave us. But we found a 'Robbie Gregory' with the same description and boy, did you run across what we think to be a shapeshifter ! He has been in and out of trouble with the law since he was 12 years old. But somehow he manage to slip through and then disappeared."
"Starting at 12, he was busted a few times doing five finger discounts and has spent brief time Downstream each time. At 18 years old, he was found on the scene of a double murder. Even though he said that he saw the whole thing happen and gave a detailed descreiption of what had happened, they were never able to finger him for any of it. Five years after the board here throws the case out, a deputy by the name of Wes Davenport from there Currentburg Township sent in a report to us. He had asked for a few more men to be sent out the township. The town was having a slight problem with the roughnecks. We sent out men. The town calmed. Davenport sent our men back and then did a town recuitment. Robbie Gregory wasn't among them."
"Yeah. But I bet Robert Gregors were.", Will said to himself. "Shapeshifter."
"No one has ever sent in an official report on your Gregors guy from the township but we do have a few individual complaints. Over a hundred to be exact. But when we sent out a guy to the area to ask questions, those 'said individuals' didn't want to talk. And according to our investigator, at the time, 'Deputy' Gregors made sure that he had a few of the men under him to keep a watchful eye on the proceedings."
This went on for another minute how a group of mauraders had drifted into town and took up 'shop' on the east end. People told Gregors to put a leash on the situation or they would take drastic measures of their own and have him stripped of his position.
"Gregors, from the last individual report, spends his nights out in the east end. His official way of keeping the peace. But the people are still unhappy with his work. But no one there have enough balls to step up and take the position from him."
Will frowned as he sat back against the headboard of the bed he were sitting in. Then an idea hit him.
___________________
Ania had almost frowned as she heard the knock on her door. She placed her pen down, 3/4ths finished with her essay's final draft and looked at her watch. It was a quarter to nine. And she hadn't expected anyone. Well, then again, she had wanted to see a certain person but had told him to get his room at the inn.
"Who is it ?"
Tap-tap. Tap !
If she weren't mistaken, after only hearing the knock twice, that was who she had wanted to see.
She checked her hair in the mirror and then went to went to the door.
"I thought you were going to stay at the inn tonight ?", she asked through the door.
"I am going to go back to my room tonight. I just came over to ask you if you wanted to take a walk and have a drink ?"
The door opened and Ania came face to face with Will.
He was dressed in all dark clothing along with his long black leather coat. His blond hair combed back and he had trimmed his beard,neatly. He wore a nonchalant smirk on his face that turned into a happier smirk when he focused fully on her.
"Hi.", he said to her.
She smiled at him and moved away from the doorway. He slowly walked in and she closed the door.
Will paused before completely walking past Ania and leaned over to her. Again, she smiled, leaned forward, and gave him a cute kiss on the lips as he touched her waist.
"Mm.", he moaned to her as he turned her aloose. He raised his eyebrow and asked her, "Did you finish at least half of your essay ? I don't want to drag you away from it if you're not at least halfway finished with it. It's very important, you know."
"I know how important it is. I've finished it and I have finished rewritting 3/4ths of it to give Helen in the morning. Now, what is this about a walk and a drink that you were inviting me to ?", she asked, folding her arms as he walked over to couch.
"Well, I have to admit that I do have an alternative motive. I wanted to check out one of the bars on the east end of town. You know, see what kind of bad seedlings this town posess. Plus, I distinctivly remember you telling me that you had always wanted to go to one of those bars to sow your wild oates. And I don't trust any of those morons down there if you were to go venturing down there alone out of your curiosity. So, I thought of you, and how you wouldn't want me going down there by my mysterious lonesome with my cast and all. And, well, I didn't want you worrying about me, here, all by your lonesome. So, I got dressed and popped by here to see if you wanted to go with me."
When Will looked up, he saw Ania walk back into the living room wearing her long dark olive colored coat that had reached her ankels, her hair was out of it's ponytail and down, and her lips that were bare were now in their beautiful maroon hue.
As he stood, he told her, "Boy, do you know how to clean up, quick and nice ?!"
That was when she noticed that he had a holstered gun at his side.
"Thanks. Where's your cane?"
"Didn't need it."
"But will we need that ?", she asked nodding to the gun at his side.
"I doubt it. But I don't want to take any chances putting your life at risk if it gets a little too rowdy before I can get you out of there.", he told her.
Ania sighed as she fixed his collar up and brushed the lapel. "Promise me you won't use it.", she said softly but concerned.
'I can't promise you that.', ran through his mind as he stroked her cheek with his gloved hand but he knew that was the last thing that she had needed to hear.
"Ania, I promise not to use it. But if a guy tries to move up on you, I may have to flash it to scare them off.", he told her.
And it made her smirk at him. "Always telling me what I want to hear ! Yeah, yeah, come on, Tasker !"
Ania grabbed his arm and they walked out the door after he reached over and turned off the lights.
"Now, who's being demanding ?", he asked her as they started down the walkway to the main road.
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